Four and counting
by Laume
Summary: KIDFIC! A few years after the war ends, Snape has a little mishap. Dumbledore, in all his wisdom, comes up with an Awfully Bad Idea.
1. Chapter 1

Explosions from the Potions Lab were entirely normal at Hogwarts castle, not only during the school year – those kind of explosions barely registered, as they only occurred with student potions – but especially during summer, when the Potions Master experimented.

The House Elves had long since grown used to that, and even formed a specialized team to clean up afterwards. They also occasionally had to assist an injured and/or humiliated Potions Master in going to the infirmary to get rid of a variety of potion-induced injuries and effects. Wit the defeat of Voldemort the Potions Master had even more time on his hands, so the crew had plenty of practice.

Still, what they found on a morning in July, five years after Voldemorts defeat, was a little more than their experience could handle.

The rooms were completely destroyed. Fortunately most dangerous potions were contained in unbreakable bottles, but still the mess had gotten everywhere.

After a short communal 'EEP!' the elves set to work, expecting to find the Potions Master somewhere among the rubble. Their scans showed he was still alive, so they made him their priority as soon as they had secured the room.

The four year old boy they retrieved from what had once been completely decent black robes, however, was unlikely to answer any questions any time soon.

A quick brainstorm session by the elves resulted in a tiny Potions Master securely tucked in an infirmary bed, Headmaster Dumbledore having been apprised of the situation – he had been on his way down to check on Snape anyway, considering the force of the explosion – and half the castle elves working on restoring both the rooms and any damage to the castle foundations.

The Headmaster stood staring at the sleeping child with a frown on his face.

"Does we be needing to change rooms for little Professor Snape?" one of the elves asked, "Potions Masters rooms are damaged."

"I don't think that will be necessary," the Headmaster bit his lip, "there are few people available to look after him and the castle is not safe for a child to roam around unsupervised. We will have to find a place where he can stay until the potion wears off or we find an antidote."

"You is taking him to the Wheezy's, Headmaster sir?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Molly and Arthur are stretched already with the dozen or so orphans they took in. Besides, Severus grew up in a Muggle neighbourhood – he would be frightened in a magical household even if he did experience magic."

A twinkle appeared in Dumbledore's eyes that would send the people who knew him best running for cover. A Profoundly Bad Idea That Seemed Good At First Glance was in the making.

sssssssssss

The Dursley family had enjoyed five years of normalcy after the defeat of That Freak. Dudley had finally graduated from Smeltings the month before and Vernon had gotten him a job at Gruntings. Although he had strongly advocated that his son should become at the very least, Assistant Director, the only person around who could veto Vice President Dursley's decision, the President and owner of the company, did just that, and Dudley started out at the mailroom, with promises that if he did well, he would be promoted.

Right now, Vernon was having to use all of his considerable influence to prevent Dudley being fired outright. Fortunately, a few threats and a little flattery so far were enough to cover up for Dudleys mistakes and violent behaviour, so all was well.

So, just when all was well for the Dursley family, disaster struck. One morning at breakfast, a strange-looking creature (a house-elf, Petunia dug up from memory) just teleported into their kitchen with a small darkhaired boy.

"I is sorry for interrupting yous breakfast," the elf said, grammatically incorrect but polite enough, "Headmaster Dumbledore is asking me to take little Severus here. He is saying yous be willing to look after him for a while. I is going to be picking him up later."

"WAIT!" Vernon bellowed, "what do you mean? Is this another freak? And what's this about us taking care of him? How long?"

"I's do not know that," the elf said apologetically, "little master had an accident. Is taking some weeks to clean up. Headmaster Dumbledore not be allowing him to stay in the castle."

"Severus?" Petunia narrowed her eyes, "Severus Snape?"

"Yes, this is being Professor Snape," the elf confirmed.

"Do you know the freak, Petunia?" Vernon asked.

"Yes, he is that horrid boy that used to live next to us at Spinner's End," Petunia pushed the boy towards the elf, "We are not taking him. Give him back to that old fool."

"I is not allowed to take him back, not until Headmaster says so," the elf popped away.

Severus stared at the big people in fright.

"Not again," Vernon glowered at the child.

"Well, the cupboard is still empty enough," Petunia said with an evil gleam while Dudley stared dumbfoundly at the child.

Vernon grabbed the boy by his collar, threw open the door to the cupboard and locked him in.

sssssssssssss

Severus curled up unhappily on the small mattress in the cupboard. In the three days he had been here, he had been slapped and made to work a lot. The woman constantly yelled at him, made him do chores that he couldn't do yet. And if he wasn't working, they locked him in the cupboard.

There had been someone else living in here as well, though. Severus was a bright boy – he had taught himself his letters already. There were letters on the wall of the cupboard, he could see them. H A R R Y S R O O M. This had been another boy's room once, he thought, someone whose name had an H and an A and R R Y.

The door opened, and the bulking form of Vernon Dursley stood in the opening.

"Lazy brat. Laying around doing nothing like all of your kind. Come along," he dragged the child from his cupboard and threw him into the garden, "Petunia wants to plan flowers down there," he pointed, "and I ordered earth to do it."

Severus stared at the large mount of earth and the shovel that stood in it.

"You are going to spread it out evenly over the empty patch there," Vernon pushed the child towards the shovel, "and mind you don't make a mess, or I'll take it out of your hide."

Several hours of working in the hot son later, Dudley strode into the yard, eating an icecream.

"Little freak," he smirked, looking at the dirty and sweaty boy, "not nearly done yet, are you? Dad'll be furious."

Severus was halfway done when Vernon Dursley appeared. The boy was too tired to protest the yelling, the slaps and being dragged to the cupboard.

He was let out the next day only when Petunia had chores for him to do. His tired, aching arms could not comply however when she made him first mop the floor, and then lift the heavy bucket to the sink. The bucket toppled and dropped to the floor, drenching everything, including Severus.

"MY KITCHEN!!" Petunia screeched, advancing on the cringing child.

"You horrible brat," she hissed, "you did that on purpose."

Severus frantically shook his head, fear on his face as Petunia reached for the nearest kitchen implement and grabbed him.

sssssssssssss

Harry Potter wandered into Hogwarts on his way to meeting the Headmaster. Five years of working as an Auror was enough for the young man, and when the offer came to teach at Hogwarts he decided he had to give it some serious thought.

Although he had not kept in contact with the Headmaster much, he did look forward to catching up with the old man. Time had healed many of his old wounds and issues.

The interview went well, and Harry agreed to teach DADA the upcoming year. Although the curse had ended, the teacher was retiring after three years and Harry was looking forward to filling the vacancy.

"Did you visit your family recently?" Dumbledore asked, twinkling.

Harry nodded, a little confused. "Sure. I visit Molly and Arthur at least every week, and usually I get in touch with Ron and Hermione almost every day. Why?"

"Not them, dear boy. Your aunt and uncle."

Harry's eyebrows raised so much that they almost slipped down the back of his neck. "Why on earth would I want to visit them?"

The Headmaster seemed surprised. "Surely you are in contact with them!"

"Of course not," Harry shook his head, "Headmaster, you know I was unhappy there. I realize now, after all these years, that I had to live there to be protected against Voldemort, but it was truly the lesser of two evils. I even toyed with the idea of filing child abuse charges against them, and only decided against it because it would bring me even more publicity that I did not want."

Dumbledore seemed pale and subdued. "It…it can't have been that bad, can it?" he asked, pleading.

Harry sighed. "They locked me in the cupboard under the stairs for the smallest offences, and sometimes for no offence at all. They did not feed me adequately. They did not outright beat me, but they did slap me a lot, and made me work like a slave. By the time I went to Hogwarts, I could keep an entire house by myself."

The old man looked defeated, and Harry narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why?"

Dumbledore looked up. "Severus had a potions accident last week. He turned into a four year old. I – I felt too busy to care for him, so I had him sent to your relatives…"

Harry's eyes widened. "Are you insane? We have to get him out of there! Petunia hated me for my magic and for being Lily's son, she hated Severus even more!"

Dumbledore almost jumped up, his eyes worried. "Let us go. You apparate us there, Harry."

sssssssss

Petunia sat back on the couch, a tabloid in her hand, a cup of tea and some chocolates on the table. Time for a well-deserved break. Vernon and Dudley were at work, the little disaster had been locked away.

She was just starting on the juiciest Royal gossip when the doorbell rang, quite frantically. With a muffled expletive she got up and janked the door open. Whatever greeting might have been on her lips died as she saw her nephew and the old man on her doorstep. Oh dear.

"Where is he, Petunia?" Dumbledore demanded.

"YOU!" the woman exploded, "how dare you come barging in and order me around! You drop childen off on my doorstep as if this was an orphanage!"

Harry meanwhile, pushed past her towards the cupboard.

"And you! You swore you would never come back here," she rounded on him.

"I didn't intend to," Harry said calmly, proceeding to pick the lock on the door. He didn't bother asking her for the key, "but apparently mistreating me wasn't enough for you."

The lock opened with a click, and Petunia backed away. Harry stared into the darkness. A small, dirty form huddled in a corner, his arms over his head to protect himself. Nausea filled him – how often had he himself not been in that position?

"Come," he said to the boy, "come here. I am not going to hurt you. Come out."

Severus, seeing that this man was not one of the people who had hurt him so much this week, stumbled out of the cupboard, tensing when he saw Petunia.

When Dumbledore moved into view, the boy started sobbing.

"I sorry!" they managed to make out from the small form, "Sorry! I not do it again, I promise. Can Sev'rus come home, please? Be a good boy…please."

All blood drained from Dumbledore's face. "Severus," he coaxed, waiting for the boy to look up, "come," he opened his arms.

Severus slowly moved to him, sobbing harder when the arms closed around him. But when Dumbledore moved to pick him up, he squirmed.

"No carry! No carry!" his voice high and panicky.

"Alright," Dumbledore assured him, "we are leaving. Just hold on to me very tightly."

He looked up at the petrified woman. "Again you escape punishment," he sighed, "I do not understand how you can treat a child like this."

She shook herself out of her stupor and glared at him defiantly. "Look who's talking," she sneered, "you are the one dropping off children like sacks of potatoes. If we were so bad, why did you keep sending him back? And having that horrid creature deliver this one?"

The Headmaster closed his eyes briefly. "I must answer for my own crimes," he said, "but they do not excuse you from yours."

He laid a hand on Severus's head, keeping him close. With duel cracks, he and Harry Apparated back to the edge of the Hogwarts wards.

sssssssssss

Harry set off almost immediately – to find his foster brothers, the Weasley Twins. Dumbledore suspected he had some sort of revenge in mind, but really did not want to know what it was. Instead, he turned his attention on the dirty, sadly neglected child by his side.

Severus looked up at him, his eyes large and sad. "Not going back?" he asked, a touch of hope in his voice.

"No, child, you are not going back," the Headmaster assured him.

"I'll be good," the child promised, his eyes bright and eager, "I'll not be bad again."

The old man choked up. "Severus," he pulled the child close, "you've not been bad, dear child. I am so sorry," he cuddled the boy, "I am so very sorry. You've been such a good boy."

He pulled himself together. Severus had been through enough, he did not need an adult breaking own on him.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he said, taking the small hand in his own. He guided the child to the bathroom, where he lifted him to stand on a dresser and proceeded to strip him of his soiled clothes.

Obviously the child had not showered since he left Hogwarts. The clothes were soaked in sweat, mixed with dirt and all sorts of stains. Removing the shirt revealed finger-shaped bruises on the upper arms and Dumbledore clamped down on his anger. Severus looked at him fearfully when he moved to strip him off his trousers as well, and it soon became apparent why.

The child's bottom was bright red, with slight bruises. No wonder he did not want to be carried.

"What happened, Severus?" he asked gently as he turned the child around to better inspect him.

"I was bad," Severus whispered, "dropped the bucket. Took food from the bin. The…the woman…she had a big spoon…"

Dumbledore gathered the crying child into his arms, dirt and all. "Shhh, sweety. That was very bad of her. You did nothing wrong. I am going to give you some potion, and wash you. Then you can have food and drink. Plenty to drink, I should think."

The severe sunburn and dry skin had not escaped his notice. Severus was dehydrated. He got a bruise cream from the cupboard. It would work fast enough that the worst of the bruises would fade before he gave Severus his bath, because the child certainly was not able to sit down in the tub as he was. Afterwards he would apply fresh.

He started with the bruises on the upper arms, and Severus watched with him as the purple patches faded to greens and yellows. Then he turned the boy around again, and carefully applied the cream to the small buttocks. Severus sniffled as he did so, but the cool cream probably felt good. The immediate easing of the pain made the boy relax a little.

"A few more moments," Dumbledore said as he filled the tub, "do you need to use the loo, my boy?"

Severus shook his head, and Dumbledore mentally noted to get plenty of fluids into him soon. When the bath was drawn, he lifted the boy into it. Severus sat on his knees, hissing a little as the water touched his burned skin. Dumbledore turned to rummage through his cabinet, looking for something to ease the sunburn. He turned back to see Severus sip some water from the tap. He guiltily moved away when he noticed the old wizard had seen him.

"It is alright, little one," Dumbledore said with a gentle smile, "you can drink. When we are done here, you can have juice, too. Would you like that?"

Severus nodded, not objecting when Dumbledore began the arduous process of removing the dirt from his aching and in some places, blistered skin with a soft washcloth. Finally the Headmaster removed a clean boy from the bath, patted him dry with soft towels and re-applied the bruise cream. Another cream for the sunburn, and Severus was dressed in soft, thin pyjamas.

This time he allowed the Headmaster to carefully carry him. He was tired and the shock of the day was catching up with him. Dumbledore fed him juice, laced with nutrient potions, but the boy was not that interested in eating. Dumbledore finally carried him to his own bedroom, where he sat down against the headboard, the child in his arms. Severus stretched and accidentally knocked the Headmasters glasses off. The old man simply chuckled, and put them aside, but the boy had stilled in his arms.

"Severus?" he asked, "what is it, child? It is alright, it was just an accident."

That was apparently not the right thing to say as the boy began to tremble violently. Muffled sobs emerged, alternated with pleading.

"Shhh, now, shhhh," Dumbledore rocked, "What is wrong, little one?"

"Not send me back," Severus sobbed, "not send me back."

"Goodness. Of course I would not send you back," the Headmaster held him closer, "why would you think that, dear boy?"

Severus clutched his robes. "I was bad. Had accident. Elf said so. Brought me to Them. Not send me back to them!" he frantically clawed Dumbledore's clothes, "not have anymore accidents! Promise!"

Suddenly it clicked. The de-aging. Severus had thought that he was sent to the Dursleys as punishment for having an accident. He believed Dumbledore would use the Dursleys as punishment when Severus was bad, even when it was an accident.

Tears dripped down the old face and into the beard, some landing on the dark head of the child.

"No, no, Severus," he whispered, "no, you are never going to be sent back to them. Never. You have not been bad. You are a good little boy, and you are going to stay right here with me."

Long minutes later, Severus eased his grip on the folds of the Headmasters robes and sighed, his eyes closing. The rocking and soft reassurances settled him, and the lack of pain, thirst and hunger that had prevented him from sleeping before were absent.

The Headmaster tucked the boy into his bed and laid down next to him, the child's head on his arm. Only four years old, he mused. How could anyone treat such a young child with such lack of affection?

He was hardly blameless in that regard, his inner voice chastised him. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the child's head.

"I'll look after you now," he said softly to the child, "No one will hurt you again. And when you are your own age again, I will beg your forgiveness and continue to be a proper father to you."

Severus, hearing a gentle voice instead of the harsh yells and slaps, curled towards the welcome warmth. Dumbledore gathered him close, letting him sleep nestled against him.

They were still there, curled up together, Dumbledore dozing a bit while the child slept, when Harry returned. He smiled at the scene, a little sad. If only someone had taken him from his relatives when he was four. But he head learned not to dwell on things in the past years, and appreciate what he did have. And he had two brothers who, just as outraged as himself, had started planning proper revenge on the Dursleys. They had wanted to plan something for Dumbledore too, but Harry had pointed out that Severus deserved to be involved in that once he was a grown-up again. The Twins reluctantly agreed, but did start to think on some good ideas and collecting gags.

"No," the boy softly pleaded in his sleep. Dumbledore apparently did not hear, napping himself. Harry sat down on the bed and stroked the dark hair.

"Hey buddy."

Severus's eyes snapped open and he stared at the person who had freed him from the cupboard.

"Hey, Severus," that person said, "how are you? I am Harry."

The small mouth fell open. "H…A….R…Y?"

Harry chuckled. "H, a, r, r, y," he spelled.

"You're the other boy who lived in the cupboard," Severus said, "it said so."

Harry bowed his head. "I remember writing that on the wall," he said, "I did not know you could spell."

Severus eyed him warily. "Not hurt me?"

"I am not going to hurt you," Harry confirmed, not finding it strange that the boy reverted to a more childish form of speaking considering all the stress he'd been under. The boy was still nestled against the Headmaster, but gently freed himself to get over to Harry.

"Thirsty," he complained.

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Harry had spotted the sunburn back at Privet Drive and remembered his own childhood, labouring in the hot sun.

"Come. We are going to get some juice," he lifted the boy in his arms.

Dumbledore spilled out of the bedroom a while later, in a panic over not finding the boy. He found the child sitting on Harry's lap, holding a sippy cup of juice and listening to a story.

"I know he's too old for a sippy cup," Harry softly said as Severus chased the moving animals around with his finger, "but he is shaky and kept spilling things. The more he spilled, the more scared he became. I finally just got him a sippy cup. It makes him feel safe, I think."

The Headmaster nodded. With everything that happened, allowing the child to drink from a sippy cup for once seemed a minor issue. Tomorrow they would go back to giving him a cup, but for now, comfort seemed more important than any dental or regression issues.

Severus reached out to Dumbledore, and the old man took him in his arms, grateful that after all that had happened, the child somehow trusted him a little.

"Are you feeling better, hmm?" he asked, "would you like more salve on your bottom?"

Severus shyly nodded, and leaned his head against Dumbledore's shoulder as the Headmaster turned to Harry to explain. The look on Harry's face, however, made it abundantly clear that there was no need to explain – Harry had plenty of experience with his aunt's wooden spoon.

They were both happy that, before the salve was applied, Severus scrambled to the toilet. They gave him more juice, a few light bits to eat, and then Dumbledore picked him up to bring him to the guest bedroom.

A trembling lip was the result. "I sleep in big bed!" Large tears formed in the dark eyes, and Dumbledore found it impossible to refuse, much to Harry's amusement.

Harry took his leave, promising to return the next morning to play with Severus, and Dumbledore readied himself for bed as well. When the child crawled into his arms, practically begging to be protected from the horrors of the past week, Dumbledore simply gave in, put an arm around the small body and hoped that they could help Severus recover quickly from this latest Horribly Bad Idea he'd had.


	2. Chapter 2

Dumbledore opened his eyes the next morning and looked around. Little Severus was no longer curled against him, but lay on his back in the bed, his head to one side, his small hands balled into fists next to his ears. The dark eyes slowly opened, as if the child was aware he was being watched.

"Hello, little one," Dumbledore said gently, only to be met with a pinched, frightened expression.

"What is it?" he asked, reaching for the boy. Severus flinched back, babbling apologies. It soon became apparent what had happened. The wetness was quite obvious.

Dumbledore smiled. It was a good thing – they had filled the boy with as much fluids as he could hold yesterday, and he was happy that there had been no lasting damage from the dehydration he suffered at least.

Then he shook his head. Obviously Severus was afraid he would be punished for having yet another accident. He pulled the sheets back, and Severus nearly jumped off the bed, one hand covering his head and one covering his backside in obvious fear of being beaten.

"Child, come here," Dumbledore squatted down, "come, little one. I am not going to hurt you, I promise. We are going to clean you up and get you nice, dry clothes."

Severus approached warily, and Dumbledore simply took his hand in his own before guiding him to the bathroom. He ran a quick bath and after stripping the child of his cold, wet pyjamas, let him play in the warm water for a bit while he discreetly called a house elf and requested a change of sheets for the bed.

Then he transfigured a bathtowel into a small robe for Severus to wear.

"We will have to go to Hogsmeade and get you some things," he commented to the child, holding out a towel to lift him from the bath.

Severus reached up and let himself be taken out. He sighed, wrapped his arms around Dumbledore's neck and rested his head on the Headmasters shoulder.

That nearly drove the old man to tears – despite everything that happened, Severus was ready and willing to love him.

Soon a clean, dressed child sat at the breakfast table, eating some scrambled eggs and drinking milk. Harry entered a little later, stealing a piece of toast and settling on the couch.

"So, what is the plan for this morning?," he asked, pulling Severus on his lap and tickling him. The boy giggled and squirmed under his hands.

"I was planning a trip to Hogsmeade to get him a few outfits and toys," Dumbledore reported, "would you like to come?"

"Certainly," Harry grinned, "time to splurge, right, Sev?"

They walked down to the village – with one or two stops on the way to allow Severus to relieve himself of some excess fluids – and entered the clothes store. Dumbledore studied the robes section. Harry noticed the boy watching the stores selection of Muggle clothes.

"Albus," he called, still a bit hesitant to use his first name. He pointed to the child. Dumbledore's face lit in understanding.

"Severus," he said, kneeling in front of the child, "would you rather have robes, or these?" he pointed to the racks.

"These," Severus said shyly.

"He probably is used to Muggle clothes at this age," the old man said softly to Harry.

They bought Severus a pair of jeans, a few shorts and shirts. Some underwear and socks, along with sandals and sneakers joined the pile. Severus brightened when the store clerk allowed him to wear some of his new clothes out of the store, leaving the transfigured robes behind. In his jeans with a red shirt, wearing his new sneakers, the boy looked more like a regular four year old instead of the terrified child he had been the day before.

"Look, Harry!" he said, pointing at his shirt, "is that?"

"It's a Kappa, Sev," Harry said, "they're a water demon from Japan. See the little bowl on his head? And the cucumbers in his hand? They love cucumbers."

"Yucky," Severus commented – cucumber was apparently not his favourite. He quickly clasped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry!"

Dumbledore laid a hand on the dark hair as they walked on. "It is quite alright, child. You are allowed to say what foods you dislike."

"The mean lady knows I doesn't like cucumber," the boy suddenly said, "she gived me small bits of cucumber. Nothing else. Yucky."

Harry suddenly whirled around and changed direction, dragging Severus along with him by his hand. Dumbledore grinned, seeing where he was going, and quickly followed. Severus was a bit surprised, but allowed Harry to take him along into a store full of candy, where Harry bought him a chocolate bar.

"Here," he said, "it's all yours. You can eat all of it. It's much better than cucumber."

The black eyes widened, and Severus hesitatingly took the bar. He looked up at Dumbledore, who nodded his approval. Harry squatted down and unwrapped a bit of the bar, broke off a piece and put it in Severus's mouth.

"It's alright," he said gently, "It's alright now, Sev. We are looking after you now, and you don't have to be afraid again."

The boy swallowed and looked up at Harry almost reverently. "You got me from the cupboard," his voice was high, as if convincing himself that Harry was the one person he could trust. The person who had been in that cupboard as well and knew exactly what it was like. He could trust Harry. He slid his little hand into Harry's large one, and sighed.

"Come, children," Dumbledore swallowed the lump in his throat and twinkled at them, "we have a toy store to visit."

Severus was obviously very unused to receiving any presents. Not only from the Dursleys – horrible as they had been, he'd been there for less than a fortnight – but from his parents, too. Dumbledore picked him up and held him on his arm, letting him see the shelves. The boy was too timid to pick anything, but the two men paid close attention to him. He stared for the longest time at a set of miniature knights with a castle. It was expensive, but neither man batted an eyelash – Severus was going to get the knights. Harry grinned happily; not only Sev would enjoy playing with it!

They also bought a very soft stuffed bear the boy was seen petting secretly, and a toy box for his room. A few smaller toys – some cars, magical building blocks – and they were set. Severus just stared, his mouth open and his eyes wide, when Harry and Dumbledore bought everything he had been admiring, but did not dare to ask for.

Dumbledore bent down and picked him up, cuddling him close. "You are such a wonderful little boy," he whispered to the child, "you deserve to have lots of fun and lots of nice toys."

"Sev is bad," the boy whispered back, a little uncertain, "Mother and Father said so. Mean lady said so."

Dumbledore pulled back his head a little to look at the pale face. "They were wrong," he said with conviction, "that was a very naughty thing to say to you. You are a good boy."

"And when you are grown-up again," he thought to himself, "I am going to sit you down for a long talk to find out just how much your mother and father hurt you, and make very sure you know how much I care for you."

Severus sighed and snuggled into him. "I'm thirsty," he admitted softly.

"Then we will stop a bit at the Three Broomsticks for drinks," Dumbledore promised, still carrying the boy. Severus allowed it – it had been quite a walk from the castle and he had not yet recovered completely. Harry arranged for their packages to be sent up to Dumbledore's rooms by a house elf and soon they sat in a quiet corner, the adults with a butterbeer and Severus with a large glass of pumpkin juice. A plate of biscuits, brought over by a doting Rosmerta who apparently had taken quite a liking to the timid child, was soon empty as all three of them – Severus after some encouragement – sampled several and compared notes.

"So, what is next?" Harry asked.

"Books," Dumbledore said, and Severus's eyes lit up so much the two men had to stifle a chuckle.

Severus reverently touched all books in the store. Harry and Dumbledore pretended to select their own books while keeping an eye on the boy. To their immense surprise, Severus tugged on Dumbledore's robes.

"Can…can…can…" he stammered.

"What is it, child?"

Severus obviously was bracing himself, and forcing himself to trust these two men.

"May I…may I s-see that book, please?" his voice trembled, as did his little hand when he pointed to a children's book on a shelf too high for him to reach.

"Of course," Harry already fished it from the shelf and Dumbledore picked up Severus.

"You may choose four books, Severus," he said gently, "and I will buy them for you."

With a completely happy smile, Severus returned to the children's section.

"Only four books?" Harry teased.

"Well, I have to leave some room for you to buy him presents later on," Dumbledore said stonily.

Harry grinned and took his own pile of books to pay for. Severus emerged with four books including the one he had asked them to take from the shelf. He looked uncertain still, as if not quite believing he would actually be allowed to have them – in fact, Dumbledore suspected he might fear the books would be batted from his hands in a fit of fury.

Again he swallowed as he took the child's hand in his own, and directed both of them to the counter to ring up the purchases.

It was a very tired child that Harry hauled onto his shoulders to carry back to the castle. The elves had already installed everything in their rooms, and the guestroom now looked like a proper room for a young child with the toys and books. Even the bed had been altered – it was a little lower to allow for easier climbing in and out, the bedding was changed into something more appropriate for a child and a nice comforter rested on top with little quidditch players chasing each other across it. After a short trip to the bathroom, Harry took one of the books, laid the child onto the bed and sat next to him, reading the book.

Before Severus could protest, his eyes closed for a much-needed nap.

Harry closed the book, stroked the dark hair and smiled.

"Sleep well, Sev," he whispered as he tiptoed out of the room.

sssssssssss

Albus frowned. Severus sat quietly on the floor, playing with his knights set. He wondered why 'grandpa' as the old man proposed he call him, was still looking so angry. He had been good all morning, he really had! No accidents, he hadn't asked for anything and when he had gotten a drink, he had quickly drank it without spilling.

But nothing seemed to please his grandpa today. He looked up in relief when Harry entered. Harry was always nice to him. He did not have to explain anything to Harry about the mean people – Harry knew what he meant with just a word or a look. That must be because he was in the cupboard as well.

"Hello Albus," Harry cheerfully called out, ruffling Severus's hair as he approached the desk, "hey kiddo. My, you look happy today, Headmaster. Another person complaining about their precious offspring's wrongful Sorting?"

"No," Dumbledore said, "I have a problem this afternoon and tomorrow. I need to go to the Ministry, but I obviously am rather tied up here."

Harry shrugged. "I don't see the problem. You go. I'll stay here with Sev. Right kid? We'll do just fine together, won't we?"

Severus nodded immediately. Grandpa was already leaving, despite his efforts to be good – last thing he wanted was Harry angry with him.

"See? Problem solved," Harry smiled. "You can help me decorate my new classroom, Sev."

Severus trailed behind Harry that evening, on their way to the Headmasters rooms. The afternoon had been fun. Harry had lots of ideas to make his classroom interesting, and Severus enjoyed playing with the props and paintings.

They ate a quiet dinner and after a quick wash-up, Harry took Severus to his room. He settled in the large chair with a book to read to the boy. He had noticed how much the boy withdrew over the course of the afternoon. Nothing usually worked better to draw Sev out than to read to him. Nestled in a lap, held in strong arms, was apparently just what the boy needed to open up about what was bothering him. Sure enough, after the first story, silence reigned for a bit until Severus shyly looked up.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Sev?"

"Can you tell Grandpa I'm sorry? I tried not to be in the way…"

Harry calmly tightened his grip on the boy, and laid his cheek against Severus's.

"Grandpa looked angry, and he said he needed to go. He can't go because of me," Sev said sadly. It suddenly struck Harry how much the boy's speech had improved.

"The mean lady said I was in the way, too," the child shivered, "I don't want grandpa mad at me!"

Harry bit his lip. Darn. They should have been much more careful. Now all he could do was minimize the damage, send an owl to Dumbledore and hope for the best.

He moved the boy so that he was laying in his arms like a small child and held him close.

"Severus, you weren't in the way. You have been such a good boy," he rubbed the small back, "Grandpa was not angry with you, he was angry because the people in the Ministry made him come there and be away from you. He did not want to leave you and he was upset that he had to. He would much rather have stayed with you."

He rocked the boy, shaking his head in disgust over how not only his relatives, but also Severus's own parents had treated him.

"You could never be in the way. We love you so very much."

"But…grandpa had to buy things for me, and stay here for me, and you do, too," Severus held onto Harry, clearly wanting to believe the young man, but not quite able yet.

"That is because you are a child. Adults have to do that for children and the children don't have to do anything in return. And grandpa and I wanted to get you all those things, and want to be with you, because we love you so much. You don't have to do anything for that. You don't have to be good or try to stay out of the way. We love you just because you are our Sev," Harry waited a bit to let his words sink in before adding, a little teasing, "Although we do appreciate it if you try to be good and well-behaved."

Severus smiled a little, sank back further in Harry's arms and closed his eyes in contentment.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry had sent off a quick note to Dumbledore when Severus was in bed, and was not surprised when the old wizard returned earlier than planned the next day. He entered his rooms at the end of the afternoon.

"Well, those people at the Ministry certainly know how to keep a wizard busy," he said, throwing his cloak onto a chair, "Severus, my boy! Come here!"

He picked the boy up and lifted him over his head with a strength beyond his years. He bounced the boy a little and Severus giggled madly.

"Oooh, I missed you so much," Albus swung him before catching him in his arms, "all those boring people wanting to talk to me! I wish I could have stayed with you."

Severus patted his cheeks with his small hands. "I was not in the way?" he asked.

"Oh, dear, no! You could never be in the way. I love you," Dumbledore sat down on the couch with the boy in his lap, "I am glad Harry took good care of you, but I really had much rather stayed here. Now – what's for supper? I am starving! Not only do they bore you to tears at the Ministry, but they forget to feed you too."

"I promised Severus fish and chips for dinner," Harry said.

Severus eyed his grandpa anxiously. "I don't have to eat fish and chips," he said quickly, "I don't mind…"

"No," Dumbledore kissed the small face, "Fish and chips is just fine."

After a heavy, greasy meal Dumbledore tucked the child into his bed. "Are you going to stay here, grandpa?" Severus asked sleepily.

"I am," Albus assured him, "I don't have to leave again for some time. Night, little one."

"Night," Severus turned and was asleep before Albus had left the room.

sssssssss

A couple of days passed quietly. Severus played happily with all his new toys and he liked nothing better than to curl up into Dumbledore's or Harry's arms before bed to be read a story. The office was a source of endless fascination – Fawkes resided there, for one, and the two chattered at each other endlessly, though completely unintelligible for anyone listening.

Though he had been forbidden from touching the silver instruments, he often sat staring at them, curiously watching the puffs of smoke, the spinning and whirling and the strange noises they made.

One afternoon, when Harry and Dumbledore sat at the other end of the room, playing a gruelling game of chess, Severus could no longer resist the temptation. He reached out and his small fingers closed on a globe-like structure held up by a silver rod. The fragile glass fractured under his clumsy grip, and he bit back a cry as the glass cut his hand. With wide eyes he watched the destruction he had wrought. He had not meant to! He only wanted to look closer! Grandpa was going to be so angry with him!

He felt tears prick as he thought about the horrid punishments he was going to get for this. He would be beaten, he thought fearfully, and they would send him away, back to the mean people where he would have to work and work all day without food.

What could he do? Perhaps if he cleaned up, they would be less angry? Maybe he could fix the instrument. Quickly stuffing his bleeding hand into his pocket, he used his other hand to carefully sweep up the glass and stash it in his other pocket. It pricked his leg, but he did not care as he slowly made his way from the room and into his own bedroom.

Hidden safely under his bed, he tried to fit the pieces back together again, trying to glue them together with the light that sometimes emerged from his hands. He had to keep trying – it had to work. The horrible time with the Dursleys played through his head as his fear made him tremble. The glass kept slipping from his fingers and cutting him worse, but he could not give up.

Meanwhile, Harry and Dumbledore, having finished their game, noticed they were one little boy short.

"Severus?" Dumbledore called. No response came.

"He was just sitting here," Harry said in confusion. "I'll go check with the gargoyle to make sure he has not left the rooms, Albus. You check his room and the bathroom."

Dumbledore quickly checked the bedroom. No Severus there. The bathroom. Nothing either. Wondering, and starting to get worried, he walked back into the office and narrowed his eyes.

Something was off there. One of his instruments was missing from its place. He knew Severus was fond of watching them, but he did not think the child would take it. Although, if he had, he was probably hiding somewhere.

Walking back into the boy's bedroom, he looked around. "Severus?"

A slight whimper from under the bed attracted his attention. "Sev, are you under there?"

"S-sorry," muffled sobs emerged from under the bed, "Was naughty…I tried to fix it…"

"Severus, come out," the Headmaster said, slightly stern, "now."

His eyes widened in shock as a little blood-covered boy emerged, still holding a few shards of glass. Tears ran down the pale face.

"Didn't mean to break it, only wanted to look," the boy backed away from him until he hit the wall, "couldn't fix it."

The sobbing became nearly hysterical and Albus approached, carefully prying the pieces of glass from Severus's hands before Vanishing them.

"HARRY!" he called over his shoulder, "Quickly, please!"

Harry ran into the room, stopping short at the sight before him.

"What happened to him? Where is he hurt?"

Dumbledore slowly crouched down in front of the terrified child. "Severus. I need to take you to the bathroom to clean you up and heal your wounds, alright?"

"N..not the mean people, please…" the child babbled, and Dumbledore simply picked him up. They would need to talk in a bit, but the child was still bleeding and that needed to be healed.

Carrying him into the bathroom, he undressed the boy while Harry inspected each little hand, casting spells to remove any remaining fragments of glass and then healing spells stopped the bleeding and sealed the cuts. Dumbledore winced when he saw the torn fabric of the pants where Severus had apparently stuffed glass into his pocket, and the matching small cuts on his thigh.

Severus shivered convulsively, and the old wizard quickly dressed him in clean clothes before carrying him to the office, leaving Harry to clean up the bedroom. They wanted to be absolutely sure no glass remained there.

The child shook as Dumbledore sat down on the couch and held the small body tightly in his arms. Inwardly, the old man sighed. Severus had misbehaved slightly by touching the instrument and breaking it – something any four year old might have done. It was heartening that he HAD done something a normal four year old would do. He also knew concealing it was not because Severus wanted to get out of being punished; he simply was terrified because he had been hurt so severely in the past for much less. How was he going to discipline an abused little boy who truly feared he would beat him senseless?

Deciding to go with his instincts, he cuddled Severus close and rubbed the small back to calm him.

"Shhh, my little one, shhhh. You are not going back to the mean people, I have promised you that. Shhh, now."

The dark eyes met his with such sadness that it hurt the old man. "Sev is a bad boy."

"You were naughty," Dumbledore corrected, "you are not a bad boy. It is not the same."

The child was confused and he decided to explain further. "You are a good little boy. You only did something I told you not to. That does not make you a bad boy. You were a bit naughty, like all children are a bit naughty sometimes. You are a good little boy who was just a bit naughty."

Severus's lip trembled again. "Grandpa going to hit me now?" he asked, infinitely sad.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No. I am not done talking to you yet," he said, his arms around the child.

"See, Severus, you hurt yourself. I do not mind so much that you were naughty. I do not mind very much that you broke my things, even. I know you only wanted to make things right again when you took everything to your room to repair it, but you hurt yourself doing that."

Severus nodded, his eyes down. "Tried to glue it with the light," he said forlornly, "could not."

"Next time you break something, you should call grandpa or Harry,' Albus said, "so we can clean it up or repair it. You may get punished, but we are never going to beat you or send you back to the mean people for it."

"Now, as for you being naughty," he said, "you are going to get two minutes in the corner, for touching something I told you not to."

He picked the child up and placed him in the corner of the room, his nose to the wall.

Severus stood very still, not quite believing what was happening. He had wondered how hard his grandpa would beat him, and with what. He had thought fearfully of the ruler on the desk…but all that happened was that he was set in the corner without even a single swat to his backside. After what seemed like no time at all, he heard his grandpa call him.

"Come, child, come give me a cuddle," the Headmaster opened his arms and soon had a sobbing youngster clinging to him.

"Hush now, little boy," he soothed, "I am not angry with you. Come, little one. Everything is fine, and you are my good boy."

"Sorry, grandpa," Severus sniffled, "Sorry."

"It is alright, child. I should have remembered to place charms on the items I do not want you to touch, and I am going to do that, today!"

Harry emerged from the corridor to the bedrooms, looking pleased with himself. "Spic and span," he announced, "not a shrapnel of glass to be found."

He eyed the boy and the Headmaster and knew instinctively what had passed while he was busy – it was not hard to guess Severus would be terrified.

"I think you need to find a higher place for your things, Albus," he said off-handedly, "I thought you learned that after I broke every single one of them!"

Severus's eyes widened almost comically. "You broke grandpa's toys?" he asked in awe.

Dumbledore spluttered about the indignity of his various intricate instruments being referred to as 'toys' but thought better of it when he noticed the little body relax in his arms.

"Oh yeah," Harry sat down next to them, motioning animatedly, "I was VERY angry with grandpa at the time. Rightfully so, mind you…" it was still a sore point between them, and Dumbledore made a mental note to discuss it with Harry soon. He did need to do some serious apologising – no pun intended.

"I took all of his instruments and threw them across the room," he confessed to Severus, "and I broke almost all of them."

"Ooooohhh!" Severus stared at Harry with a mix of horror and awe. Dumbledore grinned.

"I think he even threw one at my head," he whispered conspiratorially to the boy, who giggled a little.

"And grandpa did not hit you with his ruler?" he asked, a little fearful still.

"Nope," Harry shook his head, "he wasn't angry with me at all. Though I did deserve some time in the corner for doing that," he added thoughtfully.

Dumbledore smiled warmly at him, a smile that conveyed there was a conversation coming up about that particular night. Severus turned to him.

"I won' be naughty again, grandpa," he promised earnestly. Dumbledore kissed his head.

"And I will love you anyway, whether you are naughty or not," he told the child, before enveloping him in his arms for a long, tight hug.


	4. Chapter 4

Even though the Headmaster did not leave again the next days, he was rather busy. So much that he agreed that Harry would take Severus during the day. Severus did not have that many objections to it – Uncle Harry was fun! He got to play with all sorts of interesting things in the classroom, or accompany Uncle Harry to Hogsmeade or London to pick up things. Once, Uncle Harry even took him to a Quidditch game.

And in the evenings there was always Grandpa to come home to, grandpa who would listen patiently and with a smile as he told him everything that had happened that day. Grandpa, who would then give him a bath and tuck him into bed, telling him nice stories to fall asleep with. And in the mornings, before the day begun, he would crawl into Grandpa's large bed for a cuddle and half an hour of quiet talking before breakfast.

When the weekend approached, the flow of mail seemed to have stopped, and Grandpa had time to play games with him again. Uncle Harry had gone into the forest with the large man named Hagrid, and he was not allowed to come. The forest was too dangerous for children, Uncle Harry had explained.

Just as Severus came back from a trip to the bathroom, the Floo flared and a frantic head looked around.

"Headmaster Dumbledore!"

"Yes?"

Severus missed most of the conversation, but he did get what the man wanted!

"Two weeks? You want me to come over there for two weeks?" Grandpa asked.

Severus felt his stomach drop. Grandpa had promised he would not leave again, he had! And now he was going away two whole weeks, just when Severus had thought Grandpa would have time for him.

He turned and ran into his room, fighting his tears. But soon the tears turned to anger. It wasn't FAIR! Grandpa had promised him he'd stay.

He heard the old man call him, but he didn't respond.

"Severus?" Grandpa stood in the door, "we were going to play a game, weren't we?"

"I don't want to play any STUPID games!" Severus kicked the desk.

"Severus! What on earth…"

But Severus was not in a listening mood. He picked up the glass of water from his desk and threw the water over his grandfather.

"You are MEAN!"

Dumbledore stared at the little fury. "Severus Snape! This is not acceptable behaviour!" he took the child by his arm, careful not to hurt him. "You can sit in the chair in the corner for ten minutes, and then we'll have a chat. I have a Floo call to make."

Facing the wall, Severus felt more than just anger settle in his stomach. Dread replaced it. He had screamed at Grandpa and threw water all over him! He was in such terrible trouble. He slipped out of the chair. In the distance he could hear Grandpa talk.

"….two weeks, he wanted….no, of course I told him I wasn't going…Promised Severus I wouldn't…."

The little boy paled. Grandpa wasn't going. He had behaved badly when Grandpa had kept his promise. He was such a bad boy!

With that thought, he began to tremble. Grandpa would not want him now – he had to go. He did not want to be sent back to the mean people. So he did the one thing that entered his little mind – he grabbed his jacket and carefully snuck out, quietly creeping past the door to Grandpa's study.

He knew the castle well enough now to make it outside. The distance to the Forest and the road to Hogsmeade was daunting, but he bravely set to it, wondering if he could build a hut in the Forest and live there.

So lost in thought was he, that he did not notice Harry coming towards him until he was practically bumping into him. With a look of horror, Severus broke into a run, heading towards the forest as fast as he could.

"Hey buddy, what are you doing?" Uncle Harry's longer legs easily gave chase, and soon arms were closing around him. He was lifted off the ground and held tight.

"Severus, calm, what is wrong?"

He looked up into Uncle Harry's face and burst into tears.

"G-Granpa…leaving…I was bad, so bad, sorry, sorry…" Harry did not understand a word the child babbled through his sobs, but it was pretty obvious he had tried to run away, so something must have happened. Whatever it was, though, the Headmaster was bound to be worried sick when he discovered the child missing.

The child was far too upset for any explanations right now, and Harry automatically tightened his arms around the small body, using one hand to stroke the dark hair.

"Shhh now, Sev, it's alright. Whatever happened, we'll sort it out, alright? Shhhhh, buddy, calm down. You'll make yourself sick."

He walked towards his rooms, holding the child close. Once inside his chambers, he surreptiously cast a locking spell on the door to make sure Severus did not run off again. Then he sat with the boy in his arms for long minutes as the child calmed.

"Now, what happened?"

Severus rubbed his eyes. "Floo. Grandpa…Grandpa was leaving. Two whole weeks! I got angry…I was bad, Uncle Harry, I was so bad," his breathing became erratic and Harry, sensing he was on the verge of another panic attack, held him and rocked him.

"Did you do something naughty?"

"Y-yes…I shouted at Grandpa and threw water over him," Severus moaned, "Grandpa will send me to the mean people!"

"No, he won't," Harry said with conviction.

"Grandpa isn't going, he said so later," Severus sobbed, "and I was naughty!"

Suddenly it clicked. "You were angry because you thought Grandpa was going away, and you were naughty. And then you found out he is not leaving at all."

The child nodded miserably and burst into a fresh wave of tears.

"Hush now," Harry soothed, "We will sort this out, Sev, don't worry. I am going to call Grandpa…"

But that proved to be unnecessary. A voice came from the Floo, asking urgently for attention.

"HARRY! HARRY! Come quickly, Severus…Severus is gone and I can't find him!"

"Albus?" Harry moved to the Floo and Severus hid behind the couch.

"He…I don't know what happened, but he acted up and when I put him in timeout, I think he ran away! You must help me find him, what if he is in danger? Quickly, Harry, we must find him and bring him back…"

"Albus!" Harry said forcefully, "do you want him back?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Dumbledore shouted, "are you insane? Of COURSE I want him back! He's my boy! I don't know what I would do without him! Stop asking stupid questions and come help me!"

"I think you had better step through," Harry said gently, "I already found what you are looking for."

Severus, hidden behind the couch, had listened to his grandpa with widening eyes. Grandpa was looking for him…grandpa wanted him back! Grandpa was coming…

That thought nearly sent him into a panic again, but then Grandpa was there, stepping through the Floo, and Severus knew there was nothing for it. He slowly emerged from behind the couch, tears still running down his face.

"I….I was bad," he whispered, "S..sorry…"

Grandpa did not even listen to him. He was scooped up in the strong arms and his face pressed against Grandpa's beard.

"Oh, my precious boy," the voice in his ear trembled a little, "Don't worry me like that ever again, you hear? I thought I'd lost you."

"But I was bad," Severus said, "you were going to send me to the mean people."

"Of course not. I am never going to send you there again," Dumbledore sat down, the boy in his lap. Harry shook his head.

"He overheard you talking on the Floo, Albus," he explained.

"Oh dear," the Headmaster suddenly understood, "you thought I was going to leave you, Sev?"

The child nodded shyly.

"I promised you I would not leave," Albus said, "and I am not going to. And I am not going to send you away for being naughty, either."

He lifted the little chin. "You ARE going to get a time-out, young man! You do not scream at grandpa and you do not throw things at people. Next time, you come talk to me or Uncle Harry. Is that clear?"

"Y…yes, Grandpa," Severus sniffled.

The Headmaster held him close, his face against the dark hair. "I would miss my Severus so much if you weren't here," he sighed, "I told those people on the Floo I could not possibly be away from you."

"But…if those other people need you…" Severus looked up, hesitant, "you always have to help people."

The Headmaster sighed. "But I don't want to be away from you for so long. Besides, the only thing they can't do themselves is something I could have sorted out in a day or two."

"So you go help them two days," Severus suggested.

Dumbledore shared a look with Harry. "You wouldn't mind if I left for two days? I promised you I wouldn't leave again…"

"I could stay with Uncle Harry," Severus offered, looking up to the man in question.

"Of course, buddy. You're always welcome here."

Dumbledore nodded. "Alright. But only two days! No more."

He got up, the boy in his arms. "Alright. We are going back up for your time-out, and then to pack."

"And I'll ready the spare bedroom and think of fun things to do the next few days," Harry nearly skipped in excitement, "we are going to enjoy ourselves, Sev!"


	5. Chapter 5

Severus sat calmly playing with his knights that evening. He'd had his bath and was all cleaned up, already in his pyjamas. Though Grandpa, when they came back from Uncle Harry's rooms, had put him in the corner for ten minutes, he had not scolded him further. He had not needed to either – Severus knew that throwing tantrums was a bad thing to do.

Tomorrow afternoon Grandpa would leave, and he would stay away two days afterwards. He had promised he would be back on the morning of the third day, and Severus was sure Grandpa would keep that promise now.

Albus sat watching the boy from the desk. He smiled. To be honest, he thought the temper tantrum had been a good sign. Still, the boy was insecure and Severus needed a little extra time now, playing quietly near him, to completely calm down.

A knock on his door heralded the arrival of Harry Potter, who beamed happily at both of them.

"Harry," the Headmaster greeted, "your face tells me you have come up with some sort of plan."

"Yes, and I think a very good one. Severus, come here," he motioned for the boy to join them, "I need to ask you something."

Curious, the four-year-old abandoned his knights and leaned against Harry's knee.

"I thought, that since the weather is beautiful, that you and I could go on a little trip," Harry told the boy, "We can go by bike, see some nice places, camp somewhere…"

"Camp?" Severus asked.

"Sleep in a tent," Harry explained.

"OH! I like that…can I go, Grandpa? Pleeeeeeeeeeese?" the small hands pulled Dumbledore's sleeve.

"Of course you can go, if Uncle Harry promises to take good care of you," Albus stroked the dark hair and his eyes twinkled merrily, "it sounds like an excellent trip."

ssssssss

So, the next day Albus dropped Severus off with Harry at the end of the morning. The two of them would Apparate to the Muggle place where Harry had rented a bike and camping gear. Harry had more or less planned a route to take – travelling with the child meant he would have to take frequent breaks and occasionally stop along the route to allow playtime.

Severus hugged his grandfather excitedly. Yes, he would miss Grandpa, he told them seriously, but he was going to have such a good time with Uncle Harry that he wouldn't have time to be really sad. Harry accepted Severus's bag from Dumbledore – two clean sets of clothes and his toothbrush – and they were off.

Severus held Harry's hand as they walked into the shop. A friendly girl approached them.

"May I help you, sirs?"

"Yes, my name is Harry Potter," Harry said, as always enjoying the Muggle world where he could introduce himself without being stared at, "I called yesterday about renting a bike for a short trip with my nephew."

"Oh yes, Mr Potter," the girl said with a smile at the small boy, "we have everything ready."

She walked a little further into the shop and retrieved a comfortable looking bike. "I'll have someone adjust it a little to your height, Mr Potter."

There was a kiddy seat up front for Severus to sit in and the boy stood on his toes to look at it. There was plenty of room for luggage and Harry smiled.

"Thank you," he said as one of the workers adjusted the bike for him while he paid the deposit.

"There you go, young man," Severus was lifted easily unto the bike by the worker, who seemed to have enjoyed being watched closely by the child.

"Uncle Harry, look, I'm high!" Severus shout through the store, causing laughter. He shyly ducked his head, but Harry took the bike, put their overnight bags with the rest of the gear, and gave Severus a quick cuddle.

"You'll be able to see everything from up there, Sev," he said, "are you comfortable?"

The seat was padded, and had footrests. Severus nodded happily.

"Are we going yet?"

Harry laughed. "Yes, we are. Thank you, all. We will see you in two days."

"Bye, have fun, Sev," the girl waved to the child, "see you."

When the two were gone, she sighed. "Now that is one dreamy guy. Sexy and good with kids."

"He's coming back in two days," her co-worker winked, "who knows?"

The girl glared a bit at him before returning to her work, casting a glance to the street where the two dark heads were fast disappearing from view.

ssssssssssss

Severus leaned back in the chair, a bright smile on his face. This was great! He could see everything, the sun upon his face, the wind playing a little with his hair, and Uncle Harry behind him, teasing him about having such a luxurious seat while he had to ride the bike all day.

"Where are we going, Uncle Harry?" Severus asked, looking around. Uncle Harry's strong arms surrounded him, so he had no fear of falling. Besides, he was safely strapped into the seat.

"To the supermarket first, imp, for some supplies. And sun block, because you are going to get sunburn if you sit there all day with the sun in your face."

After getting a few necessary supplies, Harry applied sun cream to Severus's face, much to the youngster's annoyance.

"Ugh, Uncle Harry!" Severus squirmed and tried to bat the hands away.

"Sit still, Sev. Either you let me put this on or I'll return you to the castle. What will it be?"

Pouting slightly, Severus allowed the cream to be applied, and then Harry put some on his own skin.

"Good boy. We're all good to go now. We are going to head west, ride for about an hour, have a picnic, and then we're going to ride another two hours before we reach a camping where we can put up the tent for the night."

Lifting Severus back into the seat, he took off, leaving the small town and heading into the truly beautiful nature surrounding it. Severus thoroughly enjoyed himself pointing out trees, flowers, various objects, other people, animals, road signs, interesting ruins and various other things to Harry. After an hour or so, Harry stopped by the end of a small lake and checked the area for any less desirable wildlife and plants before digging up their lunch.

Severus ate most of his sandwich, fed some crumbs to a school of tiny fish inhabiting the shallow waters near the shore of the lake, and managed not to fall into the water. After making sure the child relieved himself of some excess fluids before they continued on their trip, Harry Vanished any trash before mounting the bike again.

The route he had chosen wasn't difficult, had some pretty scenery and provided plenty places to rest, eat and camp. He wouldn't have minded sleeping outside, but considering he had a four year old with him who needed exercise and time to play, he had decided on a less intensive and slightly more luxurious tour.

The excitement of sitting in front of a bike with Harry was beginning to wear off a bit, but fortunately by the time Severus truly had trouble sitting still, they arrived at the camping grounds.

After paying and getting the number of their lot, Harry left the bike locked in the guarded bike rack, slinging only the bags and the tent onto his back. The place the man had assigned them wasn't far away, and the small two person tent was easy enough to set up.

"Come," Harry said, holding out swimming trunks, "shall we go for a swim in the outdoor pool?"

That brought much cheering from a warm and slightly bored Severus, and they spent the rest of the afternoon splashing around in the water before drying off and having dinner in the little cafeteria on the grounds.

Severus was very excited about sleeping in the tent. Harry read him a story and gave him a flashlight in case he needed anything. Then he sat in front of the tent on a (secretly conjured) lawn chair to read a book and listen to the birds twittering. By the time it was too dark to read, he decided to turn in as well. After a short trip to the toilet building along with Severus, who had also semi-awakened due to a call of nature, Harry settled them both in their sleeping bags. Soon everything was quiet in their tent.

sssssssssss

The little boy woke up early. It was summer, and the sun was already up at this hour. The tent was light. He found that during the night, he had managed to end up with his head on Uncle Harry's arm. Uncle Harry himself was still snoring peacefully, but Severus really, really needed to go. Drinking that second glass of ice-tea at dinner yesterday might account for that.

Deciding not to wake Uncle Harry, he quietly unzipped the tent and stepped outside. The grass wasn't even wet anymore and felt ticklish to his bare feet. He looked around. The toilet building wasn't far away, he could even see it from here. He looked back at Uncle Harry, and decided that he was a big boy now. He didn't have to wake Uncle Harry just because he had to go.

He trotted off to the building. It was still very quiet this early in the morning, and he quickly attended business. When he had managed to wash his hands, a little messily, by the sinks that were a little too high for him, Uncle Harry came in, his hair sticking out at all angles, even more than usual.

"Here you are!" Harry said with a sigh of relief, "I woke up and you were gone."

"Had to go," Severus explained, a little uncertain, "didn't want to wake you up."

Harry yawned and stroked his hair. "That's alright. But I'd rather you did wake me."

He moved into one of the cubicles himself. A few minutes later, they walked back together.

"It's still very early. Come, we'll go back into our sleeping bags. I'll read you another story and tell you our plans for today."

ssssssss

The plans for that day consisted of visiting an old ruin in the morning – about an hour's ride away – and then another trip by bike after lunch to visit a playground on the way back to the camping grounds. Harry had been reading up on Muggle history a bit the past years; it had begun to irk him that his education in the Muggle world had been thwarted so much by his relatives, and he sought to remedy that. The visit to the ruin was mainly for his benefit. There was a village nearby where they would have lunch, and then take a different route back, to visit a nice playground. They would arrive back by dinnertime. Then the next day, they would do the track back to the town where they'd rent the bike. They would leave early in the morning, have lunch somewhere along the way and arrive back at the shop in the late afternoon. Harry and Albus had arranged to meet up there before heading back to Hogwarts together. The Headmaster had been quite curious about the trip, and Harry figured it would give him an opportunity to see what they had done on this mini-holiday.

Severus did not think the ruin all that special, although he did enjoy the stories Harry told him. But otherwise, it was just a pile of rocks and he _lived_ in a wonderful great castle. One that still had a door. And furniture.

Harry greatly enjoyed visiting the site, despite Severus beginning to pull his arm and asking when they'd leave. With a sigh he said goodbye to it, silently deciding to do some more sightseeing when he didn't have an impatient four-years-old with him.

The playground was ideal for both of them. Severus played happily in on the slides and swings. There was also a small artificial stream of water that the children could play with. The entire playground was build on a layer of sand, so the result was rather messy. Harry did not mind. Severus seemed to enjoy himself, and he could sit on the terrace with a cool drink. After buying themselves the biggest ice-cream cone they could find, they headed back to the camping, where Harry directed the very dirty boy towards the showers.

"Don't wanna wash! The sand's all gone now," Severus protested.

But Harry heartlessly paid him no heed, giving him a much-needed bath and thoroughly scrubbing him clean. The day had left Severus so tired that he barely touched his dinner, and Harry ended up carrying a sleeping boy back to the tent.

ssssssssss

"Grandpa! Grandpa!"

Albus Dumbledore looked up from where he had been waiting, at the shop Harry had indicated. There, down the road, Harry and Severus approached. Harry was riding the bike, and Severus waved excitedly from his seat up front. They both looked happy and healthy, with a slight tan. He laughed. Severus looked very comfortable, though Harry winced a little when descending from the bike.

"Saddle sore," he muttered to Dumbledore, lifting Severus down and handing him to Albus for a hug.

"Hello, my boy," the old man pressed a kiss to the dark hair as the child's arms wrapped around his neck, "did you have fun?"

"Uh huh," Severus replied, "I like bikes."

The girl in the shop blushed slightly when the three entered. Dumbledore, not one to miss such a thing, twinkled merrily, while Harry pretended not to notice.

"Hi Sev," the girl said to the child, "how did you like the bike?"

"Was good," Severus replied, "Uncle Harry says his bum hurts!"

Both the girl and Harry blushed furiously, and Dumbledore quickly took the little enfant terrible from the shop, barely hiding his own mirth.

All in all, they agreed as they walked back into the familiar rooms at Hogwarts, it had been a successful few days.


	6. Chapter 6

Dumbledore sat with Severus in his lap, the boy having been washed and dressed in clean pajamas.

"…and we went to see some really boring old rocks but Uncle Harry liked them, and then we went to the playground and I played on slides and there was a boy and he had a little sister and we played with the water and the sand and made a sandcastle, and it was really huge and grandpa…"

The dark eyes looked up at him solemnly, pausing a little in the rant to catch a breath so the next important piece of information could be blurted out, "he said I was his friend!"

"That is wonderful," Dumbledore enthused, "so you had a lot of fun."

Severus nodded happily. "I like camping. And the bike. Next time, I want to steer, too!"

"Of course. And did you mind Uncle Harry?"

"I was good!" Severus pushed his little nose up in the air as if to say 'aren't I ever?'

"He even went to use the facilities all on his own," Harry let them know from the other room, where he was doing something vague.

"'Cause I am a big boy, Uncle Harry," the child sounded almost condescending, "I know how to go potty."

The near-sneer on his face reminded the Headmaster so much of the adult Snape that he laughed in shock. When the child eyed him quizzically, one eyebrow raised, looking even more like his adult self, he could only cuddle him.

Very much unlike his adult self, Severus snuggled close to him. He had gotten very little affection in his life, and if the Headmaster was willing to provide it, he certainly would not turn it down.

Plus, a cuddle or a hug at strategic times could often get him what he wanted. Large eyes and a tiny hand on Dumbledore's knee made it absolutely impossible for the old man to deny the child the extra biscuit he asked for at tea. Or the 'jus' five more minutes, grandpa!' when it was time for bed and his knights were still in the middle of a major battle.

Uncle Harry was all too aware of it, but it only made him laugh and tease grandpa. Severus sighed deeply. Most of all, being held felt good and safe.

Dumbledore looked down on the little Slytherin in his arms. How much time he had wasted, first when the boy came to Hogwarts, and also once that boy had become an adult. He had had to face over the past weeks that despite his claims in the past that he cared for and trusted the Potions Master, Severus's interests and well-being had always been shamefully low on his priority list.

He focussed on the child again and smiled when he noticed the boy had fallen asleep. He carefully stood up, drew back the covers and settled the sleeping child in his bed.

"Sleep well, my little adventurer," he whispered, stroking the soft cheek.

ssssssss

"What on earth are you doing?"

Harry stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by all kinds of metal contraptions. He looked a little sheepish.

"I managed to enchant them," he said, "and now I'm putting it back together. Look."

A few waves of his wand, and a bike stood in the middle of Dumbledore's office.

"It is a present for you and Severus," Harry explained.

This bike did have a little seat up front, but it had a steering wheel and if Severus wanted, he would be able to peddle along with his grandfather – and help a little in moving the bike.

"It is enchanted, so you won't get saddle sore, and it is easier to ride than a Muggle bike – you are a bit older, after all…" he ducked the sparks the Headmaster shot at him playfully.

"Severus enjoyed the bike so much, but he needed a little more to do. What do you think?"

Albus was enchanted by the contraption, and called an elf to babysit Severus for an hour or so while Harry taught him how to ride a bike in the emptied Great Hall.

Once Albus go the hang of it (Harry did not tell him he had also enchanted the bike to aid the rider in balancing) they walked back up to the rooms in an excellent mood.

"How long will Severus remain a child?" Harry asked suddenly.

"I do not know exactly, but aging and de-aging potions are notoriously unstable. A permanent de-aging is almost impossible to accomplish by even the most skilled Potions Master. There is rarely a need for them. Severus could brew it, I suppose, but I very much doubt he had reason to. My guess is this was a beauty potion."

Seeing Harry's confused look, Dumbledore explained further. "Severus takes on orders from some London shops during summer, to supplement his income. He often brews for a beauty shop. De-aging potions are commonly used by women who wish to look a few years younger for an evening or such – a few drops is all it requires, and the effects last only for a very short time. The explosion probably caused Severus to somehow be exposed to the whole batch – St Mungo's Potion Ward assured me that it is not harmful to overdose."

"Not even if it is combined with other ingredients?" Harry asked, trying to dig through his memory for any useful information Snape may have mentioned in class long ago.

"If it was contaminated it would not have worked," the Headmaster said simply, "as I said, such potions are notoriously unstable. It is a miracle, on one hand, that it still worked after the explosion. On the other hand, it might have been better if the explosion had destabilized it, then Severus would probably still be an adult. Either way, I doubt it will last much longer. Unfortunately there is no way of knowing exactly _how_ much longer – he might be a child for a few more weeks, or he could turn back into an adult any moment."

sssssssss

When Severus saw the bike the next morning, he was ecstatic.

"Can we go ride it? Please, grandpa? Pleeeeeeeese?"

Dumbledore nodded dutifully, having expected this already. He was not quite ready for the child's next demand, however.

"Can we go ride to the town where we got my clothes an' toys?"

The idea of riding into Hogsmead on Harry's contraption made the old man pale a little.

"I am sure Uncle Aberforth would be delighted to see you," Harry grinned evilly at the Headmaster.

"Have you no compassion?" Dumbledore muttered, glaring at him. But then Severus pulled on his robes and looked up at him with a small face beaming in joyful anticipation, so full of hope and confidence that grandpa would take him out, that he did not have the heart to say no.

"Very well. We will ride to Hogsmead," he allowed, and felt himself warm at the smile the child gave him. Fortunately for him, he could not see the cheeky smirk the child had on his face.

"You spoil him rotten," the young DADA professor shook his head.

Albus did not even bother to deny it, and ordered Severus to go dress and put on his shoes.

"I am unsure if he will accept any kindness from me once he is grown again," he excused himself, his voice a little thick, "I am unsure about many things. There's…what harm is there in spoiling a little boy who had far too little of that thing in his life, and will be grown up all too soon?"

Severus rushed back into the room, shoes hastily pulled on, his favourite Kappa shirt and jeans placed in random places on his body. Albus bent down to help the boy button his jeans and put both his arms in his shirt instead of one in, and out.

"Here, Sev," Harry fished a few coins from his pocket, "so you can buy yourself some candy or a small present."

"I am certainly not the only one who is spoiling him," Albus winked, "just take care Arthur does not have to arrest you for misuse of muggle artefacts!"

"The bike is new," Harry waved his concern away, "it's far too new to be counted as an artefact. It's not like I cast a Featherlight charm on Stonehenge to build a tower with the blocks again."

sssssssss

Aberforth Dumbledore was not a man easily surprised. Nor was he a man easily shocked. But when his brother rode into town on a Muggle bike, desperately trying to hold down the skirts of his robes to prevent indecent exposure, and with a small child in front of him who was making 'vroomvroom' noises and turning a little steering wheel in all directions, he had to admit defeat.

Fortunately for him, but a little less fortunate for his brother, he also possessed enough sense of humour to find the entire situation hilarious. So he did the only thing he could. He grabbed the nearest upright thing he could find – Rosmerta – and howled with laughter until his muscles no longer cooperated enough to remain standing even with the witch's help. He sat helplessly on the ground, wiping tears from his eyes as his brother descended from the bike, looking indignant.

Little Severus merely stared at the crazy man who looked so much like grandpa. Considering the man was laughing, he was unlikely to get angry and do anything to hurt him, so he was probably alright. Grandpa however looked less than pleased, and Severus winced a little when he was lifted from the bike with a little less care than he was used to.

"Enough already, Abe!" Albus snapped. He adjusted his robes, and as he did so, noticed the fearful look on the child's face. Immediately regretting his annoyance, he pulled the child to him.

"Shhh, Severus, I am not angry with you. I am sorry, did I hurt you?"

Severus shook his head, face hidden in the folds of grandpa's robe. "I didn't know people would laugh at you," a small voice.

Aberforth recovered and narrowed his eyes at the sight of the boy.

"Severus Snape, eh?" he said, remaining on the ground, "Sorry for laughing so much, Al, but you must admit it was a sight one does not get to enjoy often."

Severus turned to look at the old man and the witch. He knew Rosmerta from last time they were here, and she beamed kindly at him, mirth dancing in her eyes as well.

"Hello, dear. Will you be by for a drink later on?"

Severus looked up at the Headmaster and upon receiving confirmation, happily nodded yes.

He then turned his attention to the still sitting wizard.

"It's not nice to laugh at grandpa," he said, clutching a fist full of material still.

"I expect you are right," Aberforth chuckled, "but a pretty sight it was. Who made that thing?"

"Uncle Harry did! Uncle Harry can make lots of things!" Severus sent a child-glare at the old man.

"Good job he did, too," Abe finally got up to inspect the bike a little closer, "Fine spellwork, that. Do you think Uncle Harry could make me one, as well?" he asked Severus.

"Maybe. But you have to ask an' say 'please'," Severus instructed sternly.

"I will remember that," Aberforth gave his brother a wink, "now, what can I do for you two fine wizards today?"

"Keep us company," Albus said, "and meet your nephew."

Aberforth ruffled the child's hair. "Very nice to meet you, little one," he said kindly, "so you are my nephew. That means I shall have to take you to Honeydukes and give you too much candy. That's my job, as an uncle, you know."

"Well, that means you can keep your pocketmoney for the toystore," the Headmaster laughed, "let's go there first, then."

As Severus browsed the store, after careful inquiries as to how much money he had and how he could see which toys he could buy and which were too expensive, Aberforth turned to his brother.

"This won't last, Albus," he said in concern, "what are you doing?"

"The de-aging was an accident," the elder Dumbledore explained, "I – made some grave errors at first, Abe. I have started to make amends, and I do hope, that somehow this time will generate some trust between us."

"You do not plan to abandon him, then, when he grows up again?"

The sceptical question made Dumbledore wince, but he granted he had earned that kind of mistrust.

"Not at all. These weeks changed my perspective on certain things as well, Abe. If Severus will accept me, I intent to be much more attentive to him. That means you might remain his uncle, as well."

His brother shrugged. "You'll forgive me for being sceptical, Al. I will believe it when I see it…but I have no objections to remaining available to that boy, child or no."

Severus returned at that moment with a small stuffed animal, a black panther or puma or something of the sort, Dumbledore supposed. It had very soft fur and a few minor enchantments on it to help a child fall asleep and have good dreams.

"Do I have enough?" Severus asked anxiously, fearful that the answer would be 'no'. He liked this one so much!

"You do indeed, and you should have two sickles left, even," Dumbledore informed him after very seriously counting the money. After this important transaction, they moved on to Honeydukes and drinks at Rosmerta's bar.


	7. Chapter 7

Harry entered Dumbledore's rooms after a morning spent in the forest with Hagrid and looked around.

"Where's Severus?" he asked.

"With Aberforth," the Headmaster replied with a smile, "Abe was looking forward to being an uncle and Severus seemed eager to spend the day there. I'm going down there end of the afternoon, we'll have dinner with Abe and then come back here to tuck my boy into bed."

Harry nodded and lowered himself into a chair. "How pissed off do you think he's going to be when he grows up again?"

The Headmaster actually gulped. "Well, he's not likely to be very happy. I hope he retains some of his memories of these weeks – if he returns to adulthood with the feeling his time as a child was positive and enjoyable, perhaps he will be less…irate."

"If he remembers the first two weeks…"

"I am afraid of that, yes," Dumbledore admitted softly, "he has plenty of reason to be angry. That is part of the reason I want him to get to know Aberforth – Abe is more of a neutral party. I wanted to give him someone he could more easily talk to. Abe isn't the type of person to excuse or deny my flaws…"

Harry smiled brightly. "I imagine he isn't. At any rate – come what may. Personally I wouldn't mind if he stayed four for just a little bit longer, he's such a nice kid. I don't think I'll ever look at the adult Snape the same again."

It was the Headmasters turn to smirk. "I was rather hoping you would…"

Harry glared, but only briefly. "I'll come with you to Hogsmeade and then Apparate to Diagon Alley. I'm meeting Fred and George for dinner at the Leaky Cauldron."

sssssssssss

As they entered the Hogs Head, Harry bumped into the older wizard as he stopped short just over the threshold.

"Wha…?"

Peering over the ancient man's shoulder, Harry gaped. Behind the bar, or rather on the bar, sat Severus on his knees, holding a mug in one hand while pulling the lever on a barrel with the other. Aberforth looked on in approval.

"That's right, nice and slow. Never rush with a good pint."

"Grandpa! Uncle Harry!" Severus yelled excitedly, "Look what Uncle Abe taught me!" and he held the now finished pint out to Harry, who took a tentative sip.

"A good head on that one," Abe nodded in approval.

"A perfectly poured pint," Harry consented, while the Headmaster was still standing with his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"You…taught him to pour beer?" he finally managed.

"I can make a Ma-teensy too," Severus said proudly.

"Martini," Aberforth corrected, as Harry valiantly tried, and failed, to hold back laughter at the Headmasters indignant look.

"'s not like I let him drink any," Abe shrugged, "go mix yourself a lemonade, Sev."

He lifted the boy from the bar. The child went to the back, to the kitchen, to get himself something age-appropriate to drink.

"But…" the Headmaster started, only to stop and glare when Harry chuckled.

"Oh come on, it's not like he's even underage," the youngest wizard said with a grin, "it's technically perfectly legal."

Albus gave up, and shook his head in exasperation. "Very well. Just don't let him drink any, not even a sip to try, Abe. Not only is his body too young, but alcohol isn't known to mix well with most potions."

"Am well aware of that, Albus," his brother retorted sarcastically, "did have the same education as you, after all. And possibly more experience when it comes to drink and potions."

Harry snorted, breaking up the tension between the two brothers. "You have NO idea what Hogwarts staff gets up to, Abe," he winked at the bartender and grabbed the sloshing glass little Severus had come out with. "Sit, Sev, and drink a bit from it first."

He bit back another grin when Albus asked the boy, "Why did you pour so much lemonade in your glass?"at the same time Aberforth said "Use a bigger glass next time, kid."

This, he decided, would be a very good time to leave for the Twins' store and share some of Sev's accomplishments with two people who would thoroughly appreciate the little one's newly acquired skills.

sssssssss

"We have set up pranks"

"against the Headmaster and your relatives, Harry"

"but do you think that Snape"

"will even want anything to do with us?"

The twins looked at their surrogate brother expectantly.

"I hope he does, would be perfectly good gags gone to waste otherwise," Harry shrugged.

"Well, not exactly gone to waste…" Fred demurred.

"There are several other uses we can think of for them," George nodded.

"Still, it would be nice"

"if they got used on the intended recipients."

sssssssssssss

Severus slid his hand into Albus' as they walked back towards the castle.

"Are you angry with me, grandpa?" he asked, a little insecure.

Dumbledore came to an abrupt stop and turned to the small boy in surprise. "Child, why in the world would I be angry with you?"

The small Potions Master shuffled his feet. "I liked Uncle Abe teaching me things…" he muttered.

The Headmaster felt a flash of guilt. He reached down and lifted the child into his arms.

"I'm not angry with you at all," he stated firmly, giving Severus a quick cuddle, "I was a bit surprised that Uncle Abe taught you those things, and you must promise me never to disobey us and try the drinks yourself, but I'm not angry."

"You said I can't have any because drinks can't be mixed with potions, but I didn't drink any potions," Severus said.

The old wizard sighed. "Yes, Severus, you did drink a potion. I'm not surprised you don't remember, as it happened during an accident that left you unconscious for a while. It hasn't worn off yet, and while it hasn't, we must be careful with what potions or alcohol you imbibe. That means drink," he added quickly.

"I knew that!" the little boy exclaimed indignantly, "but how do you know it hasn't worn off yet? And when it has, can I have a sip of Uncle Abe's beer then?"

"When it has worn off, I promise you can try Uncle Abe's beer," Dumbledore couldn't help but smile a little at the thought of an adult Snape's face should he try and forbid him from making his own choice in beverages. How the adult Potions Master would react to suddenly possessing all sorts of bartending skills was anybody's guess.

"How do I know it has worn off?" Severus asked.

Dumbledore stroked the soft dark hair and settled for a half-truth. "You'll suddenly grow taller," he answered.

"As tall as you?" the child asked, excited.

"Almost," the Headmaster allowed, trudging towards the castle with the child still in his arms, "but now it's time for bed, my boy. Uncle Harry, Uncle Abe and I are taking you to the zoo tomorrow."

Severus looked puzzled. "Zoo?"

With another pang of guilt Dumbledore realized that Severus had never enjoyed any outings as a child, and since he'd not reached the age of interaction with other children at school, had no idea that such places as amusement parks and zoos existed.

"It'll be fun," he promised, as he walked through the halls of the castle and into his own rooms, "Uncle Harry can even translate the snakes for you."

Though this cryptic statement did not lessen Severus' confusion any, it did make him curious enough to start looking forward to this unexpected outing.


End file.
